A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a service that allows you to connect to the internet via an encrypted connection. This is useful for any number of reasons – if you’re working remotely and need access to your work network; if you want more privacy when browsing online; or if you want to avoid geographic restrictions on content. A VPN can also be used as a means of bypassing censorship in certain countries like China.
Many people use these VPNs which allow people living abroad to watch their favorite TV shows from anywhere in the world! This is because many of the world’s best websites only allow access from their domestic customers. So if you’re outside the US, you’ll get blocked from many of the best US only sites like Hulu, NBC and Pandora. The same happens with most other broadcasters in other countries, you’ll only be able to access the BBC iPlayer from the UK.
Some people use VPNs to “trick” websites into thinking they’re in the country that has been blocked, but this is illegal and a punishable crime. In fact some countries have even outlawed making or using these virtual private networks altogether (like China).
An IP address is an Internet Protocol number assigned to a network enabled device connected to the internet using TCP/IP. A residential IP is an address normally allocated to home users usually by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Apart from the classification a residential IP address is technically identical to any other IP address.
Why Residential VPNs are Increasingly Popular: A residential IP address provides a number of benefits that make it the logical choice for many online activities. Firstly, users can access some websites from anywhere in the world (e.g.: BBC iPlayer if they’re outside of the UK). Secondly, all data transmitted between your device and the site you’re visiting is encrypted.
So Why Use a Residential VPN Instead of a Standard VPN ?
The primary benefit of a residential IP address is that it makes the connection look like a standard home user. Most VPNs use commercial IP addresses that are normally allocated to datacentres.
This actually makes them much easier to detect, if a website wants to block or restrict access to VPNs then checking the classification of the IP address is an easy option. Fortunately most of the broadcasting networks don’t use this method, with the exception of Netflix. At one point they blocked access to all non-residential IP addresses, which meant that none of the popular VPNs would work with the site. This does cause other issues though and currently Netflix have reversed this policy.
It’s very possible that this will be reinstated though or even that the other large broadcasters like the BBC or Hulu adopt this method in the future. Basically a VPN with a datacenter IP address is much easier to detect than a residential VPN. If you want to hide the fact you’re using a VPN then it realistically has to have a residential IP address – i.e. a residential VPN.
The Future is a VPN with Residential IP Addresses
This is why the popularity of these VPNs is increasing as many more sites are looking at the way an IP address is classified. Many e-commerce sites, social media sites and directories like Craigslist, check the type of IP address in order to identify both VPN and proxy use. Internet marketers and those managing multiple social media accounts both will largely use a residential VPN than a standard one.
If you’re running anything that requires multiple accounts then a residential VPN is safer too. One of the more popular uses is for updating and managing multiple Instagram accounts. Try this using standard proxies and VPN servers and you’ll lose accounts quickly. Remember 99% of VPNs you see advertised – NordVPN, ExpressVPN and most others all use datacenter addresses. Mainly because they’re much easier to obtain and much cheaper.
there aren’t many residential VPN providers – however here’s one that is affordable and reliable. You can use them as proxies or encrypt using their VPN client.
Conclusion: If you want to be able to browse the web securely, anonymously and without limits then a residential VPN is what you need. No one will know who you are or where your traffic is coming from when using this type of service. Remember, if location is important you should ensure that your VPN is located in the right place too – use a UK residential VPN for British resources and a US based one for American sites.
Residential IPs are much harder for governments and ISPs to detect than datacenter addresses which means that there’s little chance they’ll block it either. You can also have multiple devices connected at once so all of your family members can enjoy complete privacy as well!
